Twelfth Night at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
This summer Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre will provide the fitting setting for William Shakespeare’s outrageous and romantic comedy Twelfth Night. Think starry warm nights, the pleasing sound of popping corks, pre-show picnics and content audiences. Exceptional performances, good company and fresh air – Chester has got the full house this summer.
Established in 2010, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre is one of the UK’s best-loved open-air theatres and regularly plays to sold-out audiences across the summer. The theatre is produced by Storyhouse, Chester’s award-winning cultural centre.
Shakespeare’s comedy of unrequited love and mistaken identities is a firm favourite among audiences. And with its 500 seat ‘in the round’ theatre, the Grosvenor Open Air theatre provides the perfect setting for Shakespeare’s action to play out. Audiences will be transported to Illyria where Viola finds herself shipwrecked and alone, separated from her twin brother Sebastian. Assuming that her brother has been killed in the storm, Viola disguises herself as a man and finds work in the household of Duke Orsino.
Viola soon finds herself falling for the Duke (who believes that she is a he), while also attracting the romantic advances of Lady Olivia. The pathway to true love becomes even more complicated when Viola’s estranged twin, Sebastian turns up.
Twelfth Night is hilarious fun with unforgettable characters. But strip back the raucous silliness and it provides quite a serious commentary on identity, belonging and the search for love.
The magical setting of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre will also play host to outdoor productions of Shakespeare’s historic Henry V and Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of childhood favourite, The Borrowers this summer. All three shows will be performed in rep by the company.
The outdoors setting for all of these open-air performances really is special. And all that you need to do is prepare a pre-theatre picnic, gather your friends together and get that prosecco chilled on ice.
